I’m not a political person – whatsoever. In fact, thiswill be the 1st political article I’ve written in myentire life. I typically have no interest, but thismorning everything over the past couple years ison my mind – and I write when I’m angry… so…

I could usually give a rat’s azz about anything politicalthat’s going on in the world. There is no one personthat runs things in any country, and in a democracythat really ISN’T one (USA), there is no senseparticipating on any level unless that is the focus ofone’s entire life – trying to affect change in somemeaningful way. I’m a realist to the core. I don’tknow what anyone else’s definition of realist isso I use my own. A realist is someone that acts,thinks, reasons, explains, behaves, in ways thatare consonant with reality as it is. Reality isforever changing, is circumstantial andphenomenological… so, I try to act in waysthat are consonant with reality inwhatever situation or time I find myself.

So – since I couldn’t possibly dedicate my life to some-thing that is so uninteresting to me – I rarely thinkabout politics, read about them, or talk about them.It’s just a part of life that will go on without me if Inever give it a second thought, or, if I get reallyinvolved – still – it just kind of rolls along withoutchanging. No sense spending my life talking aboutthings that other people are doing.

Sometimes it affects me. Like since being here inThailand. I have met people from all over the world:England, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Czech,Norway, Sweden, France, Saudi Arabia, Iran, India,Pakistan, Kuwait, Brunhai or something like that!,Israel, Malaysia, China, Russia, Laos, Burma,Cambodia, and many more places that aren’t comingto mind this morning.

So many of these people I’ve JUST MET want to talkabout America’s foreign policy. When I first arrivedI hadn’t known much at all. Not even enough to talkabout it – I just listened to find out what everyone isall worked up about. I’ve got a layman’s understandingof things – but it’s very basic and I don’t wish to getinto any lengthy comment or email discussions overthis – so – if you feel so inclined, you’re probably notgoing to get a reply… sorry, really I just abhorspeaking about it or writing about it unless I’memotional about it – like this morning for some reason.

It’s a beautiful day outside… here’s a pic of what I’mlooking at as I type this.

There are so many beautiful days here where I lookoutside, the sun is shining… I’m living the easy life,finally not worried much about personal things goingon in my life back in the states… I’m in a good stateof health, of mind, emotionally as good as I’ve been.

I have somewhat of a paranoia that’s developed as Iget older. I think a little bit about things that are inthe future and maybe likely to affect me. I am a bitmore cautious in everything I do and how I prepare forthings that will come and cause me grief. Ioverprepare and overthink it.

This article about America’s foreign policy is along-time coming. I’ve thought about it in spurtsover the last 2 years.

I have started to really enjoy the stability of life at leastMY life. I’ve noticed that it’s really important for aperson’s well-being – emotionally, to be at ease aboutwhat is happening in the world globally as well as inone’s own private logic inside the head.

Previously since I never gave a thought to what washappening in the world I was blissfully ignorant. Likemany or (most?) in the USA I was ignorant and didn’teven care to know.

I had too much to think about to get MY life straightin my own private world, rather than get excitedabout the apparently ridiculous things that werehappening on a global level and which I couldn’t expectto change without an all-out effort that would never beforthcoming.

So, the point…

Many people from other countries have asked me aboutthe state of things – and what I “think” about Bush’sforeign policy – America’s foreign policy, but they call it“Bush’s”.

And initially I could just say something about… thereare human rights atrocities, there is corruption atevery level of some governments, there areinhumanely cruel sons of bitches running countriesto the tune of fat profits, personal power andindulgence.

There are whole populations suffering for theselfishness and insanity of their leaders (N. Koreacomes to mind). There are children eating slopbecause those in charge of their country are moreconcerned with amassing fortune and extravagencefor themselves, their own families, businesspartners and friends.

And it’s true of course.

And then I would mention something about, for us inAmerica we feel that we’re doing really well with ourquality of life, the amount of financial success we cangenerate on an individual level with some effort andknow-how. We’re so happy to not have to worryabout wars at home, on our soil. We love that wedon’t have human rights violations within ourborders (that we see very much of compared to theworld as a whole).

Being a bible based nation, our laws, our politicalbehaviors, our personal behaviors were created withthat in mind. The morals we follow, that we believe in,are bible-based and there is still a fairly large, diverseand strong group that believes the bible is a divinebook full of things we can apply to ‘today’ and getpositive results. Personally I feel the opposite – thatreligion will be the undoing of the relative peacethe US has enjoyed since it’s creation.

But, as a population, we want to think of ourselves asa country that HELPS others since we have so much.We want to SOLVE all kinds of problems, not justour own, but across borders, continents, and oceans.Torture, rape, forced starvation and other humanrights violations really get a lot of us enraged andwe think we’re morally justified to put a stop to itusing whatever means we have at our disposal.

We have a LOT OF MEANS at our disposal. Ourmilitary, probably is still ranked #1 in the world interms of capability, scaleability, maneuverability, andtechnology is our primary means. Financial meanswould be the next. With those two means, we feel likewe are the head of the world. We feel like we haveobligations not just to our own people, but to thepeople of the world… god fearing or allah fearing,Buddha loving, or whatever… we feel like we needto act to resolve things that are consonant with mostreligious views. Human rights violations are thingsthat make people from the whole world cringe.It’s something that the American leaders use to getus into action – and to feel good about doing somethingabout in countries other than our own.

Notice how we give the appearance of caring what theinternational community thinks before we act onsomething we want to change?

We pretend to be going through the motions to getinternational support for an action that we feel ismorally justified, and if the process is too slow – orit appears like we might not get full support we just goahead and DO IT ANYWAY. The leaders feeljustified, and we as a country – as a people havefelt justified in acting on something we believestrongly about.

Nuclear weapons programs is something we feelstrongly about. The capability for leaders fromother countries to launch a nuclear weapon at theUSA is just not acceptable. It’s something that wefeel justified to eliminate at whatever costs toglobal harmony in the short term because we thinkin the LONG term that the world will be a betterplace without these weapons being available toevery degenerate leader on the planet. And, inone sense – yeah, that’s true.

In quite another sense we don’t really see the BIGpicture.

The big picture is that as we start to act as we wish –without international support – at least of the topdogs, we are ruining our relationships with thesecountries. By invading IRAQ we have not onlypissed off the world’s countries that are wonderingwhat justification we had – because no weapons ofmass destruction were found, but, we are pissingoff followers of religions that have hated the US andour relationship with Israel.

America has pissed off a whole lot of countries and agood portion of the world’s people by being aggressivewith our military action.

It seems to be getting worse. The reason I got pissedoff this morning was that I was reading “The Star”– a Malaysian news source and the headline had somearticles about the USA and what it may do in IRAN.I have heard little pieces of this over the last couplemonths. I’ve blown them off, firmly believing thatBush knows how bad he f’ed up in Iraq and hewouldn’t dream of continuing along the same lines inIran.

I may be wrong, and it’s starting to really make methink about the short-term prospects of world peace.

CNN, The Star, BBC and others have been sprinkledwith articles of opinion stating that some believethe decision to go into IRAN and to bomb nuclearfacilities there has already been made and it’s just amatter of time before it’s implemented.

I have to wonder how a president, and a world powercould could have it’s head so far tucked away in awarm, wet, cozy yet smelly place thatit could believe for a second that initiating militaryaction in Iran is the way to resolve something.

I really think that if the USA moves forward with this,any chance we had of a semblance of world peace forthe short term will disappear completely.

It’s like we’re a nation without friends or supportanymore. What happened to foreign policy? Has italways been this bad and it’s recently ‘coming to ahead’ of stupidity in Bush?

Iraq has been such a disaster. Americans dying dailyfor WHAT?

One thing that I believe in – because I guess I need tobelieve in SOMETHING as being the right course ofaction….

I think that before America acts militarily withviolence it needs to have the support of the UnitedNations. There must be a vote on it that results inagreement. Without this America is on it’s own.When we act on our own initiative (and moralauthority) we’ll endure the havoc that will comefrom it.

I don’t believe we, or any other country can act withviolence BEFORE another country attacks usor our interests militarily.

Bush’s administration acted on Iraq before theyattacked the US or US interests by bombing thehell out of them, effectively removing the leadersthat were in place, and not resulting in anythingmeaningful for the country politically since.

America should really have agreement from the UNbefore ANY military action ANYWHERE. If thereis no agreement – there is no military action.Military action – killing others – has the effect ofpissing some off. Go figure.

Economic sanctions could be done in place ofmilitary action for a long time. Though the UNmight not be in agreement to physically change thenations that are threatening nuclear weapon,chemical weapons violations or whatever theiroffense happens to be, likely a number of countrieswould agree to economic restrictions that can havereal effects.

In the case of nuclear weapon manufacturing bycountries that the international community thinksshouldn’t be in control of… all sorts of sanctions canbe applied.

A country that decides to bomb with a nuclear weapon,some other country, is at fault. The world powersagree that nuclear weapons are too horrible to beused and are only still around for “peacekeeping”purposes. (LOL). So, if a country used this technologyaction would be taken by the UN – as a global effort– to rid the country of the weapons and to changethe government in whatever means necessary tomake it a country that isn’t a threat to others.

Proactively initiating violence like the USA does – iscausing its self more harm than it is stopping.

It’s tough to say this – but I really believe that BEFOREthe USA can act we need to have been acted UPON bysomeone else. Defensive in nature. This is how weneed to be. This will bring us international support and,in the long-term, give us the security we need in thisworld of emerging powers and populations (China).

I believe that if America acts in Iran without fullinternational (UN) support the world will change quitequickly. Followers of Islam will unite. Groups that arenot usually associated with each other will unite with acommon cause – destroying or wreaking havoc on thepopulation of America and on those that are importantto America.

America has opened a can of worms, and instead ofshutting the can and sealing it up… it wants to openmore cans! America, in it’s moral, bible-based questfor peace and harmony around the world is causingmore damage. Serious, serious damage. America isplaying right into Iran’s hands… I think theyactually WANT this. They know the effect itwill have on those that are teetering on thedecision about whether to fight with the USA. Thiswill be an act that brings them all together.

Those that dislike the USA and it’s policies arescattered at the present. Behind the scenes they arelikely making alliances against America. Theworst enemies can unite under a common cause– another enemy.

Bush either doesn’t SEE what is happening – that heis pissing off the world, or he doesn’t care…

Either way – if we act in Iran I see the world changingrather quickly.

But, I’m not political and to tell you the truth – I don’thave the slightest idea what is REALLY happening inthe world!

Neither do you – only what you read, hear and see. Isthat the “truth”?

Is that reality? Sort of – it’s a piece of the puzzle, butthe whole puzzle is never really seen. So many piecesare hidden. In fact, no one person or group of peoplecan see the whole puzzle. Groups are better thanindividuals though, and I hope that America willrealize that soon and start acting with other nationsin GLOBAL agreement… not as an individual.

Ok, that’s my first real “political” article… it maywell be my last!

Author: Vern

I'm an American expat living in Thailand. I like to write informative pieces about life in, living in Thailand, including topics like: Thai People, Thai Culture, Nightlife, Technology, and I have published a lot of photographs, videos, and even books on Thailand that you can find at ThailandeBooks.com. There are many photographs of Thailand here - feel free to share with attribution (a link back to the home page).
All written content on this site by Vern Lovic. Contact me at Google+.
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Thanks for the post – I think we agree on a lot of things… As I said I’m not really a political thinker… What I wrote is just a response to what is going on in my home country. The last sentence of your comment was great. It may be as good as it gets right now… or maybe not… I always like to think it can get better and make everyone MORE happy – but I’ve also learned in life that it is impossible to make everyone happy… In world affairs, even more true. Totally impossible to have peace in this world. I think the USA is on the fast track to making things worse though. :( I really hope I’m wrong, and with my non-political background – I could WELL BE! Ok – I guess that’s all the political talk I have left in me – thanks for the comments… good luck!

TryThai, you and I are sharing viewpoints. I get the feeling that even if they are based on fundamentally different values, we can still – and want to – brainstorm issues in the search for understanding. Dialogue is not possible if either is so unstable as to go berserk over an inappropriate remark or a cartoon drawing made in jest made by the other. But this is human nature â€“ neither your personal nature nor mine, perhaps, but a real aspect of a psyche that is making life dangerous for all to live. War is wrong, in principle. But Americans are not upset with their President for his foreign policy as a matter of principle. They may be unhappy because some three thousand servicemen had been killed on account of Americaâ€™s so-called â€œbotchedâ€ defensive response to 9/11. Never mind the fact that some 40,000 Americans routinely die for no purpose each year in traffic accidents. The media doesnâ€™t follow this tally because it is boring news. America at war, in itself, is a disturbing state of affair, and it does make life uncomfortable for Americans who have to live and work abroad. But it doesnâ€™t seem right to me to blame it all on one guy â€“ George W. Bush. We all share the responsibility for the mess. And we must collectively hunt down the culprits together. You are right in saying that reaction is worse than the original action. Violence begets more violence, said Jesus Christ. I could say that our planet now stacked with nuclear bombs, not to mention Iranâ€™s ambition to add to the stockpile, is horrific reactive outcome of the first bomb that flattened Hiroshima. As for Americaâ€™s aggressiveness, it is pretty measured and reasonable, to my mind. As humans, we are far from perfect; and, I feel, America as world policeman, is as good as it gets, for now.

Zhang, thanks for writing your comments and I don’t disagree with most of it… I do agree – the leaders of Iraq and Iran are acting in ways that make them appear to be jonesin’ for a beating. However, if the world doesn’t decide that it needs a beating – we shouldn’t be giving it. It’s not just that Iraq or Iran needs to splat, but think of the servicemen we lost in Iraq and I’m still trying to figure out over WHAT? If we could kill only those responsible for the problems, I’m ALL FOR that. It’s just that it can’t be done that way.

If the threat is that imminent, like the finger on a trigger… or, as you put it, similar to a hostage taker in the air in the plane’s cabin – yes, kill the silly farker and we’ll cheer it afterward.

Attacking a country across the globe because we think they are capable of doing harm to the USA someday is folly. It’s folly not because we can’t do it, on the contrary, we could attack anyone anywhere rather successfully.

THe problem and reason it’s flawed reasoning is because the world is watching. The US has driven the world economy – great. That’s not a license to impose it’s will on other countries. It’s not a license to attack before being attacked.

If Russia decided it would eliminate Japan based on the idea that Japan is in close proximity and according to Russian intelligence it had detailed plans for assassinating the top 200 members of the politboro years ago, what would be the international reaction? What it must be, OUTRAGE that someone would act without support of the UN.

Somebody’s law – I don’t care enough to look it up – murphy or somebody “important” said, “for every action there is an opposite and equal reaction”.

I don’t believe it is true in the case of humanity and behaviors… I think that “reactions” are often many times worse than the original action.

I think the mature view – the global view – the BIG PICTURE is that every nation big or small needs to get support of other nations – needs to get some justification and agreement among other nations before resulting to violence such as war. There are good reasons for attacking a country and bringing it to it’s knees. The outside threat of danger in the future is not one. In the small picture – it seems logical. In the big picture, which, the world is – a BIG PICTURE – the USA needs to moderate it’s aggressiveness toward other nations or become a battlefield at home. That would be the most horrible scenario that many are talking about, and that so far hasn’t happened. I believe it could really happen in the next 50 years or so. Maybe next year if we go into Iran too.

Yes, I like the analysis too. It seems rational until you examine the logic. Case in point: America should only react defensively, said he. Generally, this is a reasonable code of conduct between civilized people in relationship. But there is nothing reasonable about Iran provoking a conflict by insisting on going nuclear at a time when the whole world is driven into a state of paranoia by suicide bombers. If Iran insists on behaving like a pesky mosquito (think Saddam), then it is asking to be smacked and go splatt. Saddam could have at any given moment backed down and stop taunting the US like a kid with a handgun. He could have spared Iraq and himself a lot of grief. And now, we have, in Iran, another crazy kid in the process of and intent on loading a handgun. America is doing very well and doesn’t need to dirty herself swatting pests. This bring us to the next debatable point: America should not act unilaterally. The fashion of the day is America-bashing regardless of the fact that everyone is surviving, thriving and driven by American technological creativeness that among other things enables me to write this email. And because of this creativeness and entrepreneurial drive, America is churning out 50% of global economic output. When you occupy half the airplane cabin in which there is a crazy guy scrambling to load a handgun (for peaceful purposes, says he) and refuses to stop, you act in any manner necessary to neutralize the danger. The world don’t need more nuclear reactors especially in Iran where there is plentiful oil.

The Bush administration seems intent on bringing on the clash of civilizations, but I think the problem goes further than Bush & Cheney.

Many (most?) people in USA can’t imagine that anyone can be happy living under a system/government that doesn’t directly mimic their own. It’s inconceivable to them that people can be content or even thrive without a USA-type of lifestyle. Whether Democrat or Republican–it makes no difference. No matter who’s in, they will share this bias, because they’re taught this nonsense from their first breath. Combine this with an overly self-centred education system (most Americans can’t find Hawaii on a map, let alone other countries) and a breast-beating self-congratulatory media, and you have a well-meaning but totally internationally naive population.

They truly believe that what they are doing internationally is for the betterment of the world.Americans are generally well meaning, generous people who would do anything for you on a personal level, but they are incredibly naive about the impact their government’s policies are having on rest of the world.

One of the things I’ve noticed with the news over here is that the air waves will be saturated with celebrity stories (such as Anna Nicole Smith) or crime stories and that diverts attention from the really big stuff. That’s why this is an important time to pay attention.

Not that we can do a bloody thing about it, as you said. Bush doesn’t give a flying crap about the rest of the world, just in enforcing his distorted view of it.